The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-08-25
ing that VIII so soon kill bigotry as sunshine

OF all 10 crippleS investigation. You are
wrong and lam right, and that ends it, No
taste for exploration, no spirit OF investiga-
tion. From the glorious realm Of Gods
truth, over which an archangel might fly
from eternity to eternity and not reach the
limit, the man shifts himself out and dies,
blind mole under a corn shock. II stops all
Investigation.
While each denomination Of Christians is
to present all the truths of the Bible, it seems
to me that God has given to each denominaA
ton an especial mission 10 give particular
emphasis to SOME one doctrine; and SO tho
Calvnistic churches must present the sover-
Ignty of God. and the Arminian churchS
must present mans free agency, and the
Episcopal churches must present the import
ance of order and solemn ceremony, and the
Baptist churches must present the necessity
Of ordinances, and the Congreg ational church
must present the responsibility of the indi-
vidual member, and the Meth odist church
must show what holy enthusiasm and hearty
congregational singing can accomplish.
While each denomination of Christians must
set forth all the doctrines of the Bible, feel
It is especially incumbent upon each denomi-
nation to put particular emphasis upon some
one doctrine.
Another great damage done by the secta-
rianiam and bgotry of the church is that it
disgusts people with the Christian religion.
Now, my friends the Church Of God was
never intended for war barrack People
are afraid of riot, You go down the street
and you see an excitement and missiles fly
ing through the air, and you hear the shock
of firearms. Doyou, the peaceful and in
dustrious citizen, go through that street,
I'm, mol" you Will say, am go around the
block" Now, men come and look upon this
narrow path to heaven, and sometimes see
the ecclesiastical brickbats flying every
whither and they say: "Well, guess I'll take
the broad road if it is so rough, and there is
SO much sharp shooting on the narrow road,
guess I'll try the broad road
Francis |. so hated the Lutherans that he
said if he thought there was one drop of
Lutheran blood In his veins he would pune
ture them and let that drop out Just as long
| rs there is so much hostility between denomi-
nation and denomination, or between one
proteSsed Christian and another, or between
one church and another, Just so long men
will be disguised with the Christian religion
and say: "If that is religion, l want none of
it."
Again, bigotry and sectarianism do great
damage in the fact that they hinder the tri-
umph of the Gospel. Oh, how much wasted
ammunition, how many men of splendid in
| tellect have given their whole life to contro-
versial disputes, when, if they had given
their life to something practical, they might
have been vastly useful Suppose this morn
| ing, while speak, there were common en-
| envy coming up the bay through the Narrows,
| and all the forts arouud New York began to
| fire into each ether-you would cry out,
National suicide! Why don't those forts
| blaze away in one direction, and that against
the common enemyN And yet ! sometimes
see in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ a
strange thing going on-church against
church. minister against minister, denomina-
ton against denomination, firing away into
their own fort, or the fort which ought
to be on the same side, instead of concentrat-
Ing their energy and giving one mighty and
everlasting volley against the navies of dark
ness riding up through the bay!
l go out sometimes in the summer, and
find two beehives, and these two hives are in
q quarrel. l come near enough, not to be
stung, but come just near enough to hear
the controversy, and one beehive says: ''That
field of clover is the sweetest" and an
other BEEHIVE says: THAT field of
tween them, and say; "Stop this quarrel: if
youlike that field of clover best, go there; if
you like that field of clover best, go there;
but let me tell you that that hive which gets
the most honey is the best hive" So 1 come
out between the churches of the Lord Jesus
Christ. One denomination of Christians
says That field of Christian doctrine is
tian doctrine is best" Well, say "Go
where you get the most honey" That is the
best church which gets the most honey of
Christian grace for the heart, and the most
honey of Christian usefulness for the life.
Besides that, if you want to build up any
denomination, you will never build it up by
trying to pull some other down. Intolerance
never put anything down. How much has
intolerance accomplished, for instance,
against the Methodist Church, For long
years her ministry were forbidden the pull
pits of Great Britain. Why was it that Sc
many of them preached in the fields, Sim
ply because they could not get into the
churches. And the name of the church was
given in derision and as sarcasm. The crit
les of the church said: "They have no order
they have no method in, their Worship and
the critics, therefore, in irony called them
"Methodists."
am told that in Aston library. New York
kept as curiosties, there are 707 books ant
pamphlets against Methodism Did intoler
ance stop that church9 No; it is either frs
or second amid the denominations of Chris
tendon, her missionary stations in all part
of the world, her men not only important il
! religious trusts, but important also IL
secular trusts Church marching on, ant
the more intolerance against it, the faster il
marches.
What did intolerance accomplish agains
the Baptist Church, II laughing scorn ant
TRADE could have DESTROYED the church i
would not today have a disciple left.
The Baptists were hurled out of Boston il
the olden times. Those who sympathizet
with them were confined and when petition
was offered asking leniency in their behal
all men who signed it wore indicted. Has in
tolerance stopped the Baptist Churchs TIL
last statistics in regard to it showed abou
$4,000 churches and about 2, 800, 900 communi
cants. intolerance never put down anything
In England law was made against tn
jew England thrust back the Jew AM
thrust down the Jew, and declared that N
Jew should hold an Official position VIVA
came of it Were the Jews destroyed Wa!
their religion overthrown ? No. Who be
came prime minister of England year
ago! Who was the next to the thronel VIII,
was higher than the throne because he wa
counselor and adviser! The descendant of
Jew. What were we celebrating in all GU
churches as well as synagogues few year
agos The one hundredth birthday anniver
sary Of Monteiiore, the great Jewish philan
thropist. Intolerance never yet put dow
anything.
III. But now, my friends, having show
you the origin of bigotry or sactarianism, an
having shown you the damage it does, wan
briefly to show you how we are to war agains
this terrible evil, and l think we ought
begin our warby realizing our weakness an
our imperfectionS If we make so man
not possible that we may make mistakes ii
regard to our religious affairs? Shall W
take a man by the throat, or by the collar
because he cannot see religious truths just a
we dos In the light of eternity it will b
found out, l think there was somethin
wrong in all our cree1s, and something rigf
in all our creels. But since we may max
mistakes in regard to things of the world, d
not let us be egotistic, and so pulled up as
have an idea that we cannot make any mi
take in regard to religious theories. An
then think we will do great deal to owe
throw the sectariansm from our hearts, an
the sectaranisn from the world. by chief
enargng upon those things IN which W
agree rather than those on which we differ.
Now, here is a great Gospel platform.
man comes up on this side the platform an,
says: II don't believe in baby sprinkling
Shall l shove him off! Here is man coming
} up on this side the platform, and he says: g
J don't believe in the perseverance of tn
saints" Shall shove him of? No. vii
say: "Do you believe in the Lord Jesus a
) your Savior? Do you trust Him for time AM
: for eternityp He says: YES do yo
: take Christ for tine and for eternity?
eyes" say: sc )me on, brothers; one il
time and one in eternity; brother now
brother forever" Blessed be God for a Cos